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Tire Recycling: An Environmental Success Story

Over 90% of used tire piles have been abated thanks to new recycling programs across the country – how’s that for an environmental success story?!

It is estimated that, at one time, 2 to 3 billion tires were piled up across the nation in infamous “tire mountains.” But with scrap tire laws in 48 states, these tires are being re-purposed into rubber walkways, mulch, animal bedding, sports surfacing, auto parts and more! In America, it is estimated that we generate 296 million scrap tires per year, the majority of these being from passenger cars.

Although we have dramatically reduced the number of stockpiled tires in the U.S. (now down to an estimated 76 million), there is still the threat that these remaining mountains will catch fire. A famous example of this is a tire dump in Rhinehart, Virginia, catching fire in 1983 sending a 50 mile long plume of smoke into the air spanning 3 states. This location is now a Superfund site recovering from the disaster.

Check out the full article by the Mother Nature Network to see some cool new uses for tires including a unique playground in Thailand made entirely from tires! Read it HERE!